Tap into Your Customers’ Emotional Motivations
I just bought a pair of jeans. It’s ridiculous, really, because I have a ton of jeans. I don’t need another pair.
So why did I buy them? Because they look great on me. They make me feel skinny, during a time when I’ve been struggling with health and weight. They make me feel more confident about myself, during a time when I’ve had doubts.
No, I did not need jeans, but I needed these particular jeans. And I did not get them because I had nothing to wear…I got them because of what they did for me. How they made me feel.
This right here is the essence of marketing. You need to understand what you are really selling and what conversations you should be having with your customers. Because jeans are not just a utilitarian assembly of denim and rivets. You are not selling products.
I daresay you are not even selling “solutions” although that’s the buzzword that everyone uses now for everything.
Ultimately, you should not think that you are selling anything – you are fulfilling an emotional need. You are easing some pain in some person’s life. You are making them feel a certain way.
And that’s true of all products and services - from jeans to hoagies to accounting software.
You just need to dig past the obvious to reveal what your product or service really does. Because sure, accounting software makes it easier to track your invoices, etc., but it’s more than that. There’s probably a person out there who is afraid of making mistakes, who needs to perform well at his or her job and is nervous about job security, who needs your product because it will help give them the confidence to succeed.
Your business then acts as a helper, a friend, a confidant to guide prospects to discover your products for themselves. You’re a facilitator. There is no need for a hard sales pitch if you understand what you are really providing customers. They will come to you.
Once you understand what you are really selling, your relationship with customers will change. Your sales methods will change. For more on this, read A Fresh Approach to Sales and How to Adjust Your Sales Strategy for Buyer 2.0.
Bottom line: Rational arguments can sway, but emotional intelligence sells. If you really understand what emotions are driving your customers and how to talk to them, the sales will make themselves.
Need help effectively marketing to your customers? That’s what we’re best at! Let’s Talk.
Diane Callihan
With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.